Moonshine is corn whiskey, traditionally made in improvised stills throughout the Appalachian South. While quality varied from one producer to another, the whiskey had one thing in common: It was illegal because the distiller refused to pay taxes to the US government. Many moonshiners were descendants of Scots-Irish immigrants who had fought in the original Whiskey Rebellion in the early 1790s. They brought their knowledge of distilling with them to America along with a profound sense of independence and a refusal to submit to government authority. Today many Southern states have relaxed their laws and now allow the legal production of moonshine-provided that taxes are paid. Yet many modern moonshiners retain deep links to their bootlegging heritage. Moonshine Nation is the story of moonshine's history and origins alongside profiles of modern moonshiners-and a collection of drink recipes from each. [I]t's a clear-eyed history of moonshining in America that is especially good in its analysis of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791-94. It's best received as a valuable and readable collection of stories about the people who made the whiskey and the unintended consequences of Prohibition, finished off with a directory of distillers. ― Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Mark Spivak  is an award-winning writer specializing in wine, spirits, food, restaurants, and culinary travel. He is the author of  Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History  (Lyons Press), was the wine writer for the  Palm Beach Post  from 1994-1999, and was honored by the Academy of Wine Communications for excellence in wine coverage “in a graceful and approachable style.” Since 2001 he has been the Wine and Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach Media Group, as well as the restaurant critic for  Palm Beach  Illustrated.  His work has appeared in  National Geographic Traveler, Robb Report, Art & Antiques, Men’s Journal , the  Continental  and  Ritz-Carlton  magazines,  Arizona Highways,  and  Newsmax.  A broadcaster for many years, he is currently working with Matrix Media to host  Quench!,  a weekly podcast that reveals the untold stories behind everyone’s favorite alcoholic beverages, available on iTunes and at webtalkradio.net